Sock theft is a thing of the past for Spud

Spud was put forward by his owner Diane Goulding after a friend told her about the ‘vacancy’.

She said her dog frequently pinches socks, which she often finds ‘squirrelled away’ in unlikely places –such as behind the sofa.

Diane, 47, from Thornton, said: “It’s like the brief was made for him. When he was a puppy we used to take our old socks and throw them for him to play with.

“When he got older he didn’t know the difference between a sock he could have and one he wasn’t allowed to have. He thought they were a toy he could play with.”

Boxer Spud was chosen from more than 150 pets to be appointed ‘pet detective’ by security firm ADT. Requirements for the job included a history of theft.

Lee Jasper, from ADT said: “His insider knowledge and understanding of how pets evade capture – and what they will target to add to their hoard – will help us learn about the security weak spots that the UK’s pets exploit.”